by thesaffrongael

St Killian’s Mageean Cup hopes ended by An Dún

19Danske Bank Mageean Cup quarter-final

An Dún 2-19 St Killian’s Garron Tower 2-11

A slick moving An Dún side booked their place in the semi-final of the Mageean Cup with an eight point win over St Killian’s in Monday’s quarter final at Hightown. Goals on either side of half time were the scores that really sealed the game for the Down combination side, Pádraig Dorrian grabbing the first three minutes before the break and Ronan Blair put the nail in the St Killian’s coffin just after the restart with a fine individual goal.

Overall this was a polished display by the Down boys, their first touch and skill level most impressive and they must now be regarded as real contenders to go all the way. All six forwards scored with full forward Ronan Blair bagging a goal and eight points in a highly impressive individual display.

Ciaran Magill got the first score of the game to put St Killian’s ahead but An Dun hit back strongly to hit six without reply, some excellent scores from all over the field. St Killian’s Caolan O’Connor battled hard to keep his team in contention with some great scores of his own and when he fired in a great indivdual goal the gap was back to a single point, but the Down side hit back with two points and Dorrain’s goal before the break had them seven clear at the break.

When Blair got his goal just after the restart the only real thing in question was the size of the winning margin, but to their credit St Killian’s kept plugging away. The defence tightened up after the goal and restricted the An Dún scoring well. There was a glimmer of hope when Sean McKay pulled a goal back near the end but the Down side weren’t going to be caught as they secured a semi-final spot later this week.

An Dún : Cathal Lavery, Imran Hussain, Matt McAreavey, Aodhan Furlong, John Hughes, Ciaran Watson, Sean Campbell, Sean Hughes, Phelim Savage 0-2, Niall McParland 0-1, Stuart Martin 0-3, Caolan Coulter 0-1, , Padraig Dorrian 1-1, Ronan Blair 1-8, 0-4 frees, Tim Prentor 0-3.21

Subs : Francis Caldwell for T Prentor (52), Eoin Magee for C Coulter.

St Killian’s : Colm Mckeegan, Donal Kearney, Alexander McMullan, Liam McLoughlin, Ruairi McCollam, Tomas Scally, Cathal Hynds, Eoin Hynds 0-1, Aidan Ritson, Sean McKay 1-1, Caolan O’Connor 1-5, 0-3 frees, Oliver Kearney 0-1, Ciaran Magill 0-1, Finlay Walker, Fintan McQuillan.

Subs : Pearse McKeegan 0-1 for A Ritson (36), Kieran O’Boyle 0-1 for O Kearney (41), Aidan Scullion for R McCollam (52).

Referee : Brendan Toland (Antrim).

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by thesaffrongael

St Gall’s made to work to earn semi-final spot

AIB Ulster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-final

St Gall’s (Antrim) 2-19  Lisbellaw (Fermanagh) 1-16

ST Gall’s were forced to work hard for Sunday’s Ulster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship win againt Fermanagh champions Lisbellaw at Brewster Park before getting over the line with six points to spare. Level at the break the Antrim champions certainly knew they had a fight on their hands at it took two second half goals from Sean McAreavey and Mark Napier to seal the deal and book a semi-final spot against Derry champions Swatragh.

However the Milltown men will be forced to face the Derry men without their star man CJ McGourty who received a straight red card, a decision which St Gall’s are likely to appeal.

St Gall’s started well and had two points on the board through CJ and Kieran CJ McGourty before Lisbellaw hit back through Shea Curran and Conor O’Shea to square the game. CJ gave his team back the lead before and error by St Gall’s netminder McGreevy gifted the Fermanagh men a goal, a score that really put some impetus into their challenge

The Fermanagh champions began to pull clear as Ryan Bogue and Caolan Duffy hit two apiece to pull five points clear before Karl Stewart stepped in with an excellent score to halt the Lisbellaw charge. Two points from CJ  and one each from Tomás Ó Ciaráin and Jackson McGreevy brought them back into contention and when CJ added two more they were two clear with first half time almost up. However the Fermanagh men hit back to level in added time with two Curran points which sent them in at the break on level terms at 1-9 to 0-12.

St Gall’s edged ahead again early in the second half through Karl Stewart but  Lisbellaw hit back with three on the trot from John Parl McGarry, Barry McPhillips and Ryan Bogue. CJ and Kieran McGourty hit points apiece to bring the Antrim champions level and it remained that way after Niall O’Neill and Bogue exchanged scores. The introduction of substitute Sean Burke was to have an instant impact for St Gall’s as he broke through soon after coming on to set up corner forward Sean McAreavey for hit team’s first goal.

CJ’s red card soon afterwards could well have derailed the St Gall’s challenge and when Lisbellaw fought back to within a point with just five minutes of normal time remaining, the nerves were jangling yet again for the St Gall’s followers. However Burke stepped up to the mark again and after winning a long ball from Aodhan Galalgher he found corner Mark Napier with a hand-pass and the corner-forward fired home from close range to put his team back in charge. Lisbellaw battled away but 14 man St Gall’s were now in control and late points from Karl Stewart and Andy McClean had them six clear at the final whistle.

ST GALL’S: K McGreevy; S Morrison, J McDaniel, A Hannaway; N O’Neill (0-3), S Burke, J McGreevy (0-1); J Hopkins, K Stewart (0-3, 0-1f); CJ McGourty (0-8, 0-4s), K McGourty (0-2), T Ó Ciaráin (0-1); S McAreavey (1-0), A Gallagher, M Napier (1-0).

Subs: C Burke for S Burke (43mins), A Healy (0-1) for McAreavey (47mins), M Donnelly for K McGourty (60mins).

LISBELLAW: C McPhillips; C Rafferty; B McPhillips (0-1), D Bannon; T Cleary, D Teague, B Duffy; R Bogue (0-4, 0-2fs), C McShea (0-1); S Curran (1-6, 0-5fs), M Slevin, JP McGarry (0-1); C Corrigan, J Duffy, Caolan Duffy (0-3).

Subs: R Porteous for B McPhillips (48mins), A Breslin for D Teague (50mins), A McShea for Slevin (60mins), Ciaran Duffy for B Duffy (61mins).

REFEREE: J Clarke (Cavan)

by thesaffrongael

Con Magees keep promotion hopes alive with hard fought win

Glenravel x2Josh McKeown who scored five points in Con Magees win over St Comgall’s

O’Neill’s All County Football League – Division 3

Con Magees 0-12 St Comgall’s 0-10

Pics by Dylan McIlwaine

Con Magees kept their hopes of promotion to Division 2 alive when they beat fellow contenders St Comgall’s in a tough encounter at Fr Maginn Park on Sunday. A week after winning the Junior Championship the Glenravel men found this challenge equally as tough as last week’s final win over St Patrick’s Lisburn, as they were made to fight all the way by the Antrim town men. The visitors led by two at half time and it took a strong second half display, and the accuracy of Josh McKeown to get the Glenravel men over the line at the end.

St Comgall’s corner forward Miles Devine was proving a real handful for the Con Magees defence in the opening half and after the home side had twice edged ahead with points from Josh McKeown and David Higgins, Devine fired over replies at the other end. Midfielder Caolan McKeown pointed a free to give St Comgall’s the lead midway through the first half and they went on to have the better of the second quarter as left corner forward Patrick Cooke, Devine yet again, and right-half forward Ruairi Griffin all added points from play and in reply to excellent points from Josh McKeown and one from a Conor McNeill free.

Glenravelsealpromotion019Trailing by 0-5 to 0-7 as the second-half got underway knew they needed a good start if they were to keep their league hopes alive and that is exactly what they got as Declan Traynor and Conor Carey grabbed the first two points of the half to bring their team level. The returning Yank, Eamon Fyfe, who had been introduced as a sub during the first half, put them ahead with a point in the 40th minute and Josh McKeown put them two clear at the midway point of the second half with a pointed free.

It took St Comgall’s all of 20 minutes to open their second half account, but when they did they soon made it two, centre forward Peter McAuley the man on target on both occassions and suddenly the game was back in the melting pot with ten minutes still to play. Glenravel got their noses back in front in the the 53rd minute with a point from corner forward Conor McNeill and when substitute Conor Carey grabbed his second of the game in the 60th the win seemed secure. Not so however as St Comgall’s hit back with an injury time point from a free by centre-half-back Paddy Quinn jnr to cut the arrears to the minimum once again and it took a 65th minute point from a free by man of the match Josh McKeown to seal the win and keep his team’s promotion hopes alive.

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by thesaffrongael

Creggan keep league title hopes alive but result is unlikely to have any bearing on next week’s championship decider

Kickham’s Creggan 4-9 Erin’s Own Cargin 0-3

In a game that neither side really wanted next Sunday’s championship opponents, Kickham’s Creggan and Erin’s Own Cargin met today in the All County league in Creggan. The game was certainly more important to the Creggan men and they kept their hopes of a league and championship double alive but today’s result is unlikely to have any bearing on next week’s Championship decider.

Both sides fielded weakened sides with the visitors featuring only a handful of players who are likely to come into contention for a starting place next Sunday and while Creggan looked stronger on paper they too are likely to show quite a number of changes to next Sunday’s starting line out.

As was expected this was more like a reserve match. In a low scoring first half where both team’s defences came out on top, Oran McAuley got Cargin off the mark with a point from a 3rd minute free. Tiernan McAteer replied for the Kickham’s in the 6th minute and for the rest of the half it became the Paddy Coey show as he scored 2 points and a well taken goal.

The second half was the complete opposite of the first with Kickham’s getting 2 goals inside the first 5 minutes through Tiarnan McAteer and Mathew Rogers with Rogers adding a point. Jamie McCann, who was having a very strong game at centre half then came up the field to get on the score-sheet as the home side started to take control. Creggan’s greater senior experience began to tell as Kevin Small entered the contest and scored 1-02 in a 5 minute spell to move his side into a commanding position.

Cargin replied with points from Michael Clark and David Johnston as Marty Kane drove his team on and his performance would suggest he could be in contention for a place next week. The league leaders responded again and Tiernan McAteer kicked his side’s last 2 points as both teams emptied their benches.

An enjoyable game of football as both teams now set their sights on a much bigger target. Best for Cargin were Martin Kane, Michael Clark, John Carron, Oran McAuley and Peader McKeever with Jake McAteer, Eunan McAteer, Paddy McAuley, Kevin Rice & Paddy Coey best for Kickham’s.

The sides meet again next Sunday and Creggan are likely to face a much stiffer challenge from an Erin’s Own side seeking their third championship title in four years while Creggan will be happy to have got this one out of the way as they prepare for the most eagerly awaited final for some time.

 

by thesaffrongael

St Galls clinch All County U16 ‘A’ Championship in dramatic fashion.

 Report: Colm McDonald

Photographs: Bert Trowlen

                                                           U16A Football league final

St. Gall’s 3-17 St. James Aldergrove 3-10

St Galls clinched the U16 ‘A’ championship in dramatic fashion on a cold and wet Saturday evening in Musgrave Park. With Aldergrove leading by 7 points at half time no one could have believed that by the time the final whistle blew that that margin would have been reversed.

With only 13 seconds on the clock Aldergrove captain Aaron O’Connor was wheeling away in celebration after scoring the game’s opening goal.  Straight from the throw-in midfielder Eoin Hamill broke the ball to his captain who at ease raced through the middle of the St Galls defence to put the ball past Louis McCormick in the St Galls goal.

St Galls had the opportunity to level the game with less than two minutes gone but were unable to make their chance count and instead found themselves further behind when Ryan McCarthy  split the post to make it 1-1 to no score after 3 minutes. Aldergrove were unlucky not to find the net again in the 5th minute after a fierce shot from Conor Adams beat the keeper only to be stopped by Adam Churchill on the St Galls line.

St Galls were given a lifeline as Dubhaltach Wilson bore down on the Aldergrove goal and was fouled by Aidan Douglas and referee Brendan Toland stretched out his arms for a St Galls penalty.  Sean Stewart stepped up but he drove his penalty against the crossbar and as David Aiken broke out of the defence with the ball the opportunity had passed.

St Galls had to wait until the 11th minute to get their opening score and it came from the boot of Odhrán McDonald who received the ball from Dubhaltach Wilson who seemed to be St Galls main threat.  From the resulting kick-out Connla Maguire rose highest to catch the ball cleanly and he drove forward to score St Galls second point from distance.

Aldergroves pressure would continue and with 13 minutes gone Michael Blaney got his first score of the game following a foul on Ryan McCarty he put the resulting free over from 20 meters.

St Galls were finding it hard to break through a very tough Aldergrove back line with great pressure being applied by Eoin Gough and Conor Ferguson they decided to shoot from distance and points from Niall Fallon and another from Eoin Burke made the score 1-2 to 0-4.

The South Antrim champions were starting to get back into the game and with 18 minutes gone Odhrán McDonald had a great opportunity to put them in front for the first time but he found Rory McBriar in great form and when one on one it was McBriar who came out on top with a first class save.  That save brought life back into a tiring side and as Aldergrove dug deep and got their second wind they came up with two points in two minutes from Ryan McCarthy and were now firmly back in control.  This continued when Michael Blaney scored his second free of the game.  Aldergrove were now in their groove and two goals in 4 minutes would put 10 points between the teams.  The first came from Logan Fleming who collected the ball on the run inside St Galls 20 metre line and drilled his shot low and hard into the net.  Aldergrove’s third goal was a joy to watch as Ryan McCarthy caught a long ball under pressure from Oisin Crawford and as he turned he let fly with a fierce strike which went high into the top corner of the St Galls net.

Half time was now fast approaching but there was still enough time for St Galls to get the final score of the half. Niall Fallon found space in what up to now was a water tight defence and under pressure passed the ball to Dara Delaney who put the ball into the net.

As the half time whistle blew it was Aldergrove who would be the happier leaving the pitch with a 3-5 to 1-4 lead.

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If St Galls were to have any chance of getting back into the game they knew they would need to come out of the blocks quickly and that they did.  With only 2 minutes gone in the second half Connla Maguire picked up the breaking ball and drove towards the Aldergrove goal, his shot was hard and low and as it nestled in the back of the net as a bit of belief came back into the St Galls team.

However it didn’t last long and 3 points in the next 3 minutes two from Michael Blaney and another from Ryan McCarthy would see Aldergrove claim back their 7 point lead.

This game was about to take a dramatic turn as St Galls began their amazing comeback.  With only 6 minutes gone in the second half and the score 3-8 to 2-4 St Galls would score 7 points without reply, 2 points apiece from Sean Stewart, Dara Delaney and Eoin Burke and a further point from Niall Fallon, and by the time Dara Delaney put St Galls in front for the first time in the 45th minute no one in the crowd could believe what they had witnessed.

St Galls were not done and continued to push forward with their never say die attitude, this was typified by Dubhlatach Wilson who was instrumental in the St Galls come back with his determination and desire to win every ball that was played into him.

Niall Fallon added another score for St Galls before Aldergroves next attack when Ryan McCarthy found himself one on one with Louis McCormick only this time it was the St Galls keeper who came out on top with a fine save. Michael Blaney added another score to his personal tally before Sean Stewart added another two to his own.

With time running out Michael Blaney was on target to make the score 3-10 to 3-14 in favour of the Milltown men.

For Aldergrove their day was about to get worse as influential forward Ryan McCarthy was forced off with what looked like a serious knee injury.

As injury time approached there were further scores for the Belfast men, one again from the sweet left foot of Sean Stewart and two for the hard working Dubhaltach Wilson.

Aldergrove’s day went from bad to worse as they had two players Red carded in the dying minutes but at this stage St. Gall’s already had matters sewn up and the league title was on its way to Milltown Row.

As the final whistle blew the turnaround was complete.  Final score Aldergrove 3-10 St Galls 3-17.

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Aldergrove team: Rory McBriar, Aidan Douglas, David Aiken, Lee McCusker, Conor Ferguson, Eoin Gough, Logan Fleming, Eoin Hamill, Aaron O’Connor, Glenn Dunham, Ryan McCarthy, Conlieth O Toole, Conor Adams, Michael Blaney, Daniel Shields. Subs: Aidan Irvine, Cormac McGarry, Ronan Aiken

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St Galls Team: Louis McCormick, Adam Churchill, Oisin Crawford, Sean Kelly, Fergus Donnelly, Sean Stewart, Conall McCabe, Eoin Burke, Darragh Ferguson, Conall McGirr, Connla Maguire, Niall Fallon, Dubhaltach Wilson, Dara Delaney, Odhrán McDonald Subs: Aodhan Murray, Peter Devine, Joseph Diamond, Aodh Mullan, Joshua Quinn

Referee: Brtendan Toland (Lamh Dhearg)

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